How to Stay on Schedule

[Ami]

Care givers who have mixed age kids from 6 weeks to 5 years, how do you stay on schedule. For example if it is out side time or lunch time and an infant is sleeping then what do you do? Or if it's nap time and older kids are napping and infant don't sleep then?

And how to do circle time with all mixed age kids? for older kids alphabets, numbers and shapes would be too easy and boring and if we try to make a little interesting for older kids then younger kids would have no interest.

I am yet to open the daycare so just trying to get all information. TIA

[daycare]

I hope you get some answers.

I don't provide infant care. I only provide care for ages 18months to 5 yrs not enrolled in school.

For circle time, I read books that repeat, like brown bear, brown bear. I would choose this book when I was working on the letter B.

older kids= why did I choose this book? they will tell me it starts with b

preschool kids= can you find the b on the book, there it is,

toddlers= what does the bear say they say roar.......big and loud

I say this to everyone and let anyone who wants to answer to do so.

I start out my circle time very high, with dancing and jumping, then low. we stretch all the way down to the ground, sing a transition song.

sitting- sing another song-open shut them- then we talk about how we can move during reading time, then we read.

then we get up again and get really high energy again. we don't sit long.

jump, clap, stomp the days of the month? Today nov 4, do all of those 4 times.

we say the pledge every morning

then jump some more, with yoga to end it.

we move a lot. just about everything I do with the kids involves tons of moving.

I don't let the kids sit too long, they will get bored and act out.

we do scarf songs, parachutes, music sticks, felt board, name tags and etc.

Hope this helps some, sorry I don't have answers for your other questions.

[MarinaVanessa]

I don't keep a "schedule", I have a routine. The only thing that stays on a regular time is meals but everything else is kind of just an "order" that it goes by
- Breakfast
- free-time
- activity
- outdoor play
- snack
- activity
- free time
- lunch
- nap/quiet time
- free time
- snack
- outdoor play
- free time

I'm very flexible too so if we don't get to do something then we don't get to it, no biggie.

[childcaremom]

I only have ages 12 month +.

I have specific times for naps and eating. I have some leeway when we are dropping the morning nap and moving to afternoon but generally speaking, everyone naps together. 9-10 for am naps and 12:30-3 for pm naps. Everyone is usually up by 2:30 though. I find most children are able to adapt if they are used to a schedule at home. I give about 4 weeks to complete the transition to our schedule.

Circle time and art activities are during morning naps. As the littles drop their morning naps, they will join in and I do much the same as daycare to include them. They are free to roam and play if they want but most will join in for some of it. We all go outside together.

All meals are together. Storytime is after lunch and together. Tired littles can be put down prior. This would be when those who have a bottle get their bottle (self-feeding but I don't usually have any on bottles when they start as most have weaned).

After rest we have afternoon snack and then back outside as a group. We come in at the end of the day to either do table activities or play in the playroom until pick up.

So everything is as a group. I don't gear to the littles as they only need a morning nap until the latest 18 months (and I usually start the transition about 15 months). So my day is set up around snacks and lunch and one major rest period.

[Play Care]

Care givers who have mixed age kids from 6 weeks to 5 years, how do you stay on schedule. For example if it is out side time or lunch time and an infant is sleeping then what do you do? Or if it's nap time and older kids are napping and infant don't sleep then?

And how to do circle time with all mixed age kids? for older kids alphabets, numbers and shapes would be too easy and boring and if we try to make a little interesting for older kids then younger kids would have no interest.

I am yet to open the daycare so just trying to get all information. TIA

I work diligently to get the kids on a similar schedule. So baby would be put down to nap right after breakfast so he would be up and awake for a good portion of the AM and ready to nap at the regular nap time. It take some work, but worth it.

[Annalee]

I don't keep a "schedule", I have a routine. The only thing that stays on a regular time is meals but everything else is kind of just an "order" that it goes by
- Breakfast
- free-time
- activity
- outdoor play
- snack
- activity
- free time
- lunch
- nap/quiet time
- free time
- snack
- outdoor play
- free time

I'm very flexible too so if we don't get to do something then we don't get to it, no biggie.

I have ages 6 months thru 5 yrs old right now. I do not put "physical times" on anything except meals and nap. My children know what comes next but we do not say at 9 AM we do this.....we just have an order we follow...i.e. breakfast, circle time, free play time, etc...so on and so on....

[Controlled Chaos]

I work diligently to get the kids on a similar schedule. So baby would be put down to nap right after breakfast so he would be up and awake for a good portion of the AM and ready to nap at the regular nap time. It take some work, but worth it.

Practice, practice, practice!

I have a new baby starting this week, and on day 1 we definitely went outside 30min later than usual. And that's ok! But as she gets used to napping in her pac n play (yea sleep training! ) we'll get a routine going. I do switch up when we do an art project or sensory activity based on the baby's immediate schedule and needs but meals and outside time are pretty concrete.

[Ami]

Thank you all for your great inputs. :hug: